Chapter 384: Qianzhang of the Longhu Talisman Sect

Liu Yunzhi: A bottleneck?

Shi Qianzhang: Even Senior Sister has hit a bottleneck? Brother Sheng, what realm is she at now?

Wang Sheng: She's in the middle to late stages of the Heavenly Abode Realm, but the distinction is a little vague. She looks troubled. I've already tried every method I could think of. Does anyone have any texts on the Dao of Yin and Yang?

The group chat went quiet. Sitting beside Wang Sheng, Mu Wanxuan reached out and gently shook her head at him.

Wang Sheng understood and sent another message.

Wang Sheng: It's fine, everyone. Don't trouble yourselves. There are very few texts on the Dao of Balanced Yin and Yang anyway. I'll ask at the research institute.

Several replies immediately popped up.

Liu Yunzhi: Tell Mu Wanxuan to try to relax. Perhaps her lack of progress comes from her nonstop cultivation. If she gives it time, inspiration could strike.

Huai Jing: Try not to worry too much as well, you two. Cultivation was never meant to be completed overnight. The more anxious you become, the less you'll gain. Daoist cultivation has always been about following the natural course.

Shi Qianzhang sent a sighing emoji. He then followed it with a message.

Shi Qianzhang: Why are we worrying about the cultivation of a Heavenly Abode Realm master? We're just little Golden Core Realm shrimps! When did the world get this cruel? Are Golden Core Realm cultivators really supposed to be all-capable now?

Wang Sheng chuckled and shook his head, then spoke softly with his senior sister. She pouted before sending a meme to the group.

Hopelessly addicted to my junior brother—no, I mean to cultivation.

Liu Yunzhi silently replied with a lemon emoji. Huai Jing and Shi Qianzhang followed it with pictures, and the chat instantly brightened up.

After exchanging a few more casual words, Wang Sheng noticed Mu Wanxuan closing her eyes to cultivate again. He rose from the long wooden couch by the window and headed for the door.

Maybe Big Sister will have something useful to say. With her cultivation and age, she embodies the saying, 'Having an elder in the house is like having treasure.'

Wang Sheng closed the door behind him and glanced at Wang Xiaomiao, who was asleep in the opposite room. He then walked toward the elevator.

Little did he and Mu Wanxuan know, the topic in the six-person group chat had already drifted.

Liu Yunzhi:

So, where did Dale end up?

Huai Jing sent a little monk meme, then a reply.

Huai Jing: She returned to the Special Investigation Unit. After doing my best to persuade her, she finally let go of her obsession for now. It's a pity she didn't join a Buddhist sect, but at least the matter has been settled for the moment.

Shi Qianzhang: You didn't show up that day. I thought you'd been eaten alive. Your share of Big Sister's treasure is still with me. When are we meeting up?

Liu Yunzhi cut in forcefully.

Liu Yunzhi: Remember to check. Big Sister gave you nine Crane-Spirit Treasure Pouches.

Huai Jing: Amitabha. I have no use for such worldly things in cultivation... but send it by express later.

The corner of Shi Qianzhang's mouth twitched. He sent a furious reply.

Shi Qianzhang: Express, my ass! What courier company would dare insure that?

Shi Qianzhang: How do you even cultivate, Huai Jing? I see you gaming every day. You barely spend any time cultivating. Why are you still a whole realm ahead of me and Little Liu?

Huai Jing: By sparring with trolls online, one's state of mind is naturally refined.

Shi Qianzhang replied with an angry emoji.

Shi Qianzhang: Go fool someone else! You definitely have a secret cultivation method.

Huai Jing went silent for a while, then sent a picture of his surroundings. He really was gaming.

His immersive VR gaming setup had clearly cost a fortune, likely equal to the bounties of over ten corrupt cultivators. Having worked with the Special Investigation Unit for so long, though, he had built up considerable wealth.

Huai Jing: Daoist Qianzhang, care to log on for some immortal cultivation?

Shi Qianzhang: Not going! I'm gonna go into seclusion! Muting the group!

***

At the back mountain of the Longhu Mountains, Shi Qianzhang tossed his phone onto the bed, lay back with his head on his arm, and sighed.

Among the younger generation, he enjoyed the best treatment. He even had his own small back-mountain villa that was on par with the residences given to his master's generation.

The sect didn't think he was uniquely gifted and worthy of special training. Rather, he simply kept innovating with talismans. Every so often, he'd come up with a new type that greatly benefited the sect.

"I can't keep falling so far behind."

He jumped up from bed and began pacing.

If not for Wang Sheng, Mu Wanxuan, and Huai Jing, his cultivation realm among the younger generation would be considered above average. He wasn't exactly top-tier, but since most of his energy went into talking big—into designing new talismans, he had always been fairly satisfied with the pace of his cultivation.

Still...

Shi Qianzhang pulled out a bamboo token from his storage artifact and rubbed it with his fingers.

It was the highest commendation his sect had given him last year. With it, he could ask the sect to do one thing for him.

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Master just entered seclusion. I think l'll go to Forefather Master."

Gritting his teeth, he stomped his foot and marched toward the door. However, he shrank back as soon as he reached it, remembering his forefather master's stern face.

He then recalled that a few days ago, at Wang Sheng's home, their forefather master hadn't seemed that frightening. While drinking and chatting with several elders back then, he had looked rather approachable.

Shi Qianzhang gritted his teeth again, stomped once more, flung the door open, and strode down the stone steps. Outside, sheets of talisman paper hung to dry and fluttered gently in the wind. He paused, biting his nails in hesitation.

A moment later, he stomped once again. Though hesitant and wavering, he forced himself forward until he eventually climbed the back mountain and reached a great temple hidden in the peaks.

There were no guards. After all, it was the residence of the strongest person in the Longhu Mountains.

Like his own villa, talisman papers were hung outside to dry.

Two young boys in Daoist robes were tidying the papers. They curiously eyed Shi Qianzhang. As one of the most talked-about talents of his generation, he was quite well known. Hence, they didn't stop him.

When he reached the entrance of the temple, his nerves got the best of him again. He paced, bit his nails, scratched his head, and looked ready to retreat.

But before he could, a deep, commanding voice rang out from inside. "Who's at the door?"

Shi Qianzhang trembled. As his legs buckled, he dropped to his knees with perfect form and raised the bamboo token high.

"Mas—" His voice cracked into a squeak. "

Ahem!

Forefather Master, it's me..."

"Oh? Qianzhang?" The doors opened inward. The Celestial Master stepped out with his hands clasped behind his back. "What brings you here?"

"F-Forefather Master, my master is in seclusion, so I wanted to..."

Shi Qianzhang faltered. He wanted to ask if there was a shortcut to cultivation, but the words got stuck in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to be that shameless.

The Celestial Master chuckled warmly and placed his palm on Shi Qianzhang's head. Gently, he replied, "You are close to Fei Yu and Bu Yu. Are you distressed because you feel you're lagging too far behind them?"

"Y-yes... I'm useless, Forefather Master. In my early years, I thought cultivation was nothing special and did not take it seriously. Now, I have wasted so much time and failed the sect's expectations.

"I know Brother Sheng and Senior Sister are no ordinary people, and I shouldn't compare myself with them. Still, I always end up feeling..." Shi Qianzhang sighed. "I don't even know how to put it.

"When we faced trouble abroad and those corrupt cultivators took hostages, Brother Sheng had me pretend to be him to fool both the Special Investigation Unit and the enemies. I obeyed because I didn't know what else I could do to help him."

"Foolish child." The Celestial Master sighed as well. "Your mastery of talismans surpasses most. Why fret so much?"

Shi Qianzhang frowned. "It's not enough, Forefather Master. I don't have many friends, only those few. Now, three of them have left me and Little Liu far behind. If Huai Jing can keep up with Senior Sister, why can't I?

"Brother Sheng is a few months younger than me, yet after only twenty years since the return of primal qi, he already stands at the pinnacle of the cultivation world. I, on the other hand, can't even consider myself one of the top among the younger generation.

"I used to compare myself with Little Liu, thinking it was enough to be his equal. The truth is, whenever Brother Sheng needs allies, I realize I'm just trash—a freeloader tagging along for experience!

"Do you know, Forefather Master, that when we went to meet Brother Sheng, we actually arrived two hours early, but none of us dared to face him? We hid in the van, too afraid to fly over. Teammates should stand together, but whenever something happens, Brother Sheng is always the one standing in front."

With his eyes already red, he looked up at the Celestial Master. He then raised his bamboo token high.

"Please guide me in cultivation, Forefather Master! I want to reach the Nascent Soul Realm as soon as possible! I'm not asking to catch up to Brother Sheng. All I want is to become someone he can rely on—someone who can cover his back against strong enemies, instead of cowering behind him like an idiot. I beg you, Forefather Master!"

Shi Qianzhang kowtowed. Just as his forehead touched the cold floor, the bamboo token vanished from his hands.

The Celestial Master sighed. "Rise. Since you have used my token to make this request, the entire Longhu Mountains will support you. For the next three years, you will remain by my side in seclusion. I will personally guide your cultivation and help unlock your potential. Now, hand me your phone."

Still dazed, Shi Qianzhang handed over his phone without thinking. The Celestial Master took it and lifted his arm, his sleeve sweeping through the air.

Startled, Shi Qianzhang cried out, "Forefather Master, wait! That phone holds six hundred holographic mini-films I've spent years collecting—"

Bang!

With a flash of light, the round "mooncake" phone exploded into dust.

Shi Qianzhang collapsed backward and stared blankly at the drifting dust, his strength drained from his body.

The Celestial Master grabbed him by the collar and dragged him inside. The elder's hearty laughter mingled with the young man's pitiful sobbing echoed through the skies of the Longhu Mountains' back mountain.